little shadow [closed]

❒ After having been awoken by his mentor, the apprentice was told to follow him to the camp's entrance. It was his first day as an apprentice and the gray-and-white tom had no issues with waking up his body fully—the buzzing excitement he felt within himself surely had something to do with that.

❒ Once there, Ratrunner had told him what he had planned for the day. Hunting? He was going to be trying to catch his first prey? He had dreamed of this day since the first time he saw his father waltz into camp with a juicy mouse hanging from his jaws. He was more than ready to begin his training.

❒ The apprentice nodded earnestly. "I-I'm looking forward to learning how to hunt." He tried to sound serious but his eager expression had betrayed him. "Alright! T-That'd be great. I want to make you a-and the clan proud!" he meowed determinedly. Another thing fueling his excitement was that he'd be seeing the territory for the first time. He could only imagine all the greenery and the life that was occupying said territory. He hoped his father and mother could see him from Starclan. He was finally starting his life as an apprentice.

❒ The young tom drank in all that Ratrunner said as he carefully observed the older cat's form and movements. He didn't dare say a peep in fear of missing any vital information.

❒ Alright. It was now his turn to try and Forest was a bit nervous but quickly relaxed as his mentor reassured him. "O-Okay. I'll try my best..." he murmured to Ratrunner as he took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly—an action he often did to soothe his nerves. Step one was dropping down into position. He could certainly do that. The young apprentice dropped down into a simple crouch. Good, good. He was getting there. Next was to keep his limbs loose. He carefully shifted his paws around as best as he could. He wobbled occasionally but finally settled after a few moments. He was... satisfied with how his position felt. He turned to his mentor and gave him a lopsided smile. Was he looking alright? Hopefully.

❒ After that, he replayed Ratrunner's earlier explanation in his head. He said to not worry about his paws. Alright, he'll try to remember that. Using his senses was vital. He needed to utilize them fully. Also, he needed to learn what each prey sounded like. He knew what most smelled like and what they looked like but the sounds they made were also important. Hopefully, he'll learn that all soon enough.

❒ Forestpaw allowed himself to relax and he began to slowly practice moving in his current form. "A-Am I doing this right?" he questioned breathily as he tried to "sink into his senses".

❒ The young tom's expression relaxed into a smile as Ratrunner encouraged him and told him that he was doing well. He nodded as he listened to the advice he was receiving, eyes solely focused on the dark-furred warrior. It was time to actually try and catch some prey. The apprentice's nerves were back but as he'd done previously, he shoved them away. "O-Okay," he whispered as he fixed his paws a bit then awaited his mentor's signal to follow.

❒ So far, it was going well. Ratrunner was a bit ahead of him but they were both actively scenting the area for any signs of prey. There was a rustle just a bit beyond them that had the apprentice on edge. He quickly forced himself to stay calm—if Ratrunner was remaining calm then why should he start to panic?

❒ The peace didn't last long though. The only warning he had of what was about to transpire was Ratrunner's. The large bird had swooped down so quickly that he hadn't even managed to spot a blur. His fur stood on end as he watched it rake its talons on the warrior's shoulders before Rat grappled with it and successfully managed to pin it down by a wing. He was startled out of his daze at his mentor's command. He quickly nodded his head as he scrambled over. He wasn't sure what to even do but he'll try his best to help out his mentor. 'Use your claws! Use your jaws!' his mind supplied once he'd arrived. That's what he intended to do.

❒ He wasted no time it jumping on the struggling bird and sinking his jaws into its torso. He then slashed wildly to deal a few extra blows. He was nervous about having it break from Rat's hold while he was right there but he soothed his growing panic when he noticed that the warrior was keeping it down as best as he could. Ratrunner wouldn't let anything happen to him. He'd trust his mentor with everything.

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❒ A flash of... something flickered across the young tom's eyes as he stared down at the struggling creature. It was getting weaker and weaker—its slowed movements a testament to its waning health. He bit his lip and lifted a hesitant paw then struck its head. It was over. It had died. He didn't understand why he felt so bad about it. Such conflicting emotions, some of which he couldn't even decipher. He blew out a shaky breath before nodding at his mentor, mentally assessing Ratrunner's injuries.

❒ The gray-and-white apprentice gently moved over to his mentor's side and offered him a gentle nudge with his shoulder, careful of aggravating the wounds. "D-Do they hurt? Want to go back to camp and have Basilbloom take a look at them?... O-Or would you like to keep going?" he asked softly as he pressed himself against the older tom in a comforting manner. He could see how tired Rat was becoming. Forestpaw was worried about him and would rather have his mentor rest than keep going but it was up to Ratrunner.

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